Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Todd Blanche AG Nomination
Tillis dropped his opposition to advancing Blanche’s nomination after concerns about the IRS settlement were addressed.

SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYThe Last Refuge is a partisan blog, and the article combines limited attributed reporting with highly charged political commentary. The unknown author and lack of visible editorial or corrections information limit confidence in its institutional standards.
- Source type — A partisan blog rather than an established news organization.
- Author attribution — No individual author is identified.
- Editorial standards — The article’s argumentative language makes a clear separation between reporting and opinion difficult to assess.
- Transparency — The text gives little information about reporting methods or corrections practices.
The article includes a committee tally and quotes from Grassley and Durbin, but does not present the settlement documents or Blanche’s own words directly. Its closing commentary is highly partisan, and the competing arguments are not examined in depth.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article includes both Grassley’s defense of the agreement and Durbin’s criticism, but it does not substantively test either claim. Its concluding commentary is one-sided and uses loaded language.
- Loaded language — Uses inflammatory labels for the proposed fund and broad claims about both parties.
- Source diversity — Quotes a Republican committee chair and a Democratic senator, but offers no independent or documentary evidence.
- Counterarguments presented — Democrats’ objection is included, though its reasoning is not explored beyond a brief quotation.
- Opinion vs reporting — The article shifts from reporting committee events into overt political commentary.
The article’s closing language sharply criticizes Democrats and presents both parties as self-interested, while describing the dispute in terms favorable to the Republican deal. Its framing is strongly right-leaning.
- Language tone — Uses charged terms such as “slush fund” and “cop-beaters fund.”
- Framing — Frames the Republican senators’ agreement as resolving the issue while foregrounding Democrats’ objections.
- Language tone — The closing paragraphs characterize Democrats as seeking power and Republicans as seeking money.
- Source selection — Includes statements from Republican committee leadership and a Democratic critic, but does not provide independent analysis of their claims.
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination by a 12-10 vote after Thom Tillis and John Cornyn dropped their opposition. Democrats argued that Blanche’s agreement concerning an IRS settlement would not prevent the settlement from being used to create a fund.
The article says Tillis and Cornyn withdrew their opposition to advancing Blanche’s nomination, while Chuck Grassley said Blanche agreed that an IRS settlement would not create a compensation fund for Jan. 6 victims. Grassley said changes Blanche made resolved the issue. The committee advanced the nomination 12-10 along party lines.
Democrats challenged the agreement’s effect, with Richard J. Durbin saying it was unenforceable because the settlement parties had not signed it and that the fund could be revived. The article also says the settlement’s future use remained unknown, then closes with strongly critical commentary about both parties and the Senate.
Community verdict
2 VOTESPeople in this story
SWIPE →Senator who dropped his opposition to advancing Blanche’s nomination
Senator who dropped his opposition to advancing Blanche’s nomination
Cornyn's version of this story ↗Senate Judiciary Committee chair who negotiated a path to advance the nomination
Grassley's version of this story ↗Attorney general nominee whose agreement helped secure advancement of his nomination
Blanche's version of this story ↗President named in connection with the IRS settlement and Blanche’s acting status
Democratic senator who criticized the agreement
Part of a bigger story
13 OUTLETSOutlets agree the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination after Thomas Tillis and John Cornyn backed it following Justice Department action addressing their concerns. The coverage connects their support to assurances about a proposed fund and an IRS settlement. Left-leaning outlets portray the support as evidence of Blanche’s and the senators’ unfitness. Center outlets focus on the committee vote and assurances behind the changed support, with Newsweek also noting Tillis’s criticism of DOJ. Right-leaning outlets likewise center the vote and deal, especially the holdouts’ demands and the department’s response, while The Last Refuge also reports Democratic objections.
- ARTICLES
- 13
- OUTLETS
- 13
- AVG CRED
- 67
Discussion · 0
Loading comments…





